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green standard as the official minimum criteria for new government buildings and have con- structed LEED certified buildings. Village Hall achieved Gold standard from the Florida Green Building Coalition in 2012, and we have re- cently updated that certification.We use Flor- ida-friendly landscape principles at all public facilities.We implement green practices across all of our departments and constantly try to enhance upon these practices.We use alterna- tive fuels in Wellington’s green fleet, and have an alternative fueling station.Additionally,we have held the title of ‘Tree City USA’ for the past 20 years. Some smaller practices include policies requiring our electronic equipment to have con- servation features, online registration for all of our recreational programs which reduces emissions, and active enhancement of our natural areas to provide habitats, nesting sites, and curtail invasive growth.” Naturally, since Wellington was once swamp- land, managing its water resources and storm- water runoff safely and efficiently is imperative. The Village owns and maintains a vast storm- water drainage system to ensure that commu- nity water levels are carefully controlled. “We’re about 48 square miles in size; about ten square miles of that is in a stormwater treatment area, located to our west, which directs stormwaters through this treatment area and then it dis- WELLINGTON, FLORIDA PREFERRED VENDORS n Amerigrow Recycling www.amerigrow.com 22 years of supplying Southern & Central Florida with environmental- ly friendly groundcover products and premium custom blended soils. We are continuously developing new sustainable groundcovers and premier turf products. We pride ourselves on our superior quality and exception- al customer care. Call for more information, free quote or to place your order today! n Clarke Aquatic Services, Inc. www.clarke.com charges into the Loxahatchee Wild- life Refuge, which we border on our western boundary,” O’Dell explains. “The Village has spent close to $40 million to re-plumb our stormwater management system,” he continues. “Half the Village used to flow to the south and half to the north. Now, everything flows north and then goes through a major canal system along the State Road 80 corridor, and then discharges into the storm- water treatment area. That’s been a major accomplishment. And we’ve been working diligently on reduc- ing phosphorous discharge into our stormwater. In addition, we’ve created our own, internal stormwater treat- ment system, known as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Environmental Preserve. It’s a park and nature pre- serve with pathways, a boardwalk, and educational components, and we pump our stormwater through that system and it filters out through the marsh system that we created in there, as well.” From swampland, to strawberry patch, to affluent and thriving com- munity, the Village of Wellington, Florida has certainly come a long way. And as long as it continues to retain that hometown feeling, it is certainly destined to go a lot further.